New Delhi: With Team India all geared up to add to the woes of the jaded Sri Lankan side, when the two lock horns for the second Test match at Colombo, Cheteshwar Pujara prepares himself for his 50th Test match.
It was back on October 9, 2010, that the No. 3 batsman made his Test debut for India. The match was against Australia, at Bengaluru. With Murali Vijay's dismissal, the Saurashtrian batsman stepped in with much hope but failed to shine with the willow as he was outfoxed by left-arm pacer Mitchell Johnson. Pujara had just scored four runs in the first innings. However, he played a crucial knock of 72 runs off 89 deliveries in the second innings, stitching an important 57-run stand with Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar as India registered a seven wicket win over the visitors.
Despite his brilliance with the bat, the Saurashtrian faced many ups and downs before cementing his place into India's Test squad. The cricketer, often compared to the batting prowess of 'The Wall' Rahul Dravid, marked his return to International scenario after recovering from quite a few injuries with a brilliant 159 against New Zealand in 2012.
As 'Mr. Dependable' prepares for his 50th Test, here is a look back at his five match defining knocks of his career...
159 vs New Zealand at Hyderabad, in 2012
It is my "second debut", said Pujara as he marked his return to the squad after almost 20 months of absence. Opting to bat first, Indian openers Gauatm Gambhir and Virender Sehwag took off with a fiery start before the left-hander departed after putting a 50-run stand. Pujara stepped in next to take things under control. While Sehwag and even Sachin failed to hold onto their wicket at the other end, Pujara continued through his patient innings. He wove a crucial 125-run stand alongside Virat Kohli as India put forth a first innings total of 438 runs. The Saurashtrian had helped revive India's faltering score from 49/1 to 387/6, as he notched up his maiden Test ton. New Zealand failed to cope up with the pressure put on by spin duo Ravichandran Ashwin and Pragyan Ojha as India won by an innings and 115 runs.
206 n.o. vs England at Ahmedabad, in 2012
It was the first of the four Test matches slated to be played against England. Gambhir and Sehwag took India to a blazing start after skipper Dhoni opted to bat first. After a century stand, Pujara entered the scene. He notched up his maiden double ton as India declared on 512 for eight at the end of Day 2. He became the sixth Indian batsman to achieve this feat. The right-handed batsman faced 389 deliveries cracking 21 boundaries, but no sixes and displayed absolute calmness amid Graeme Swann's deceptive spin toppling down wickets at the other end. India, thus took a lead in the series after winning the match by nine wickets.
204 vs Australia in Hyderabad, in 2013
Pujara displayed yet another match defining innings with the bat when he notched up his second double ton, this time at Hyderabad and against the mighty Australians. In reply to Aussies' target of 238, opener Murali Vijay and Pujara stitched an astounding 370-run partnership with the latter smashing 30 boundaries and a six to amass 204 runs off 341 deliveries. The partnership is the highest for a second-wicket pair. Enroute to his second double ton, Pujara scored 1000 Test runs, which was the second fastest by an Indian. India once again registered victory over the visitors going 2-0 up in the series.
145 n.o vs Sri Lanka in Colombo, 2015
Pujara was then in the worst phase of his cricketing career and was eagerly waiting for a comeback. Dropped from the third Test against Australia in 2015 and then in the one-off Test against Bangladesh, but Pujara's desperation only grew stronger. Finally in the third Test match against Sri Lanka, Pujara saw a comeback chance. Drafted into the squad after India went an opener short, Pujara notched up an unbeaten 145, thereby putting his name alongside greats like Sunil Gavaskar, Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid. He had become the fourth Indian batsman to bat through a Test innings. Not only did India win the match by 117 runs, but it was India's first victory on Sri Lankan soil since 1993.
92 vs Australia in Bengaluru, in 2017
After a disappointing Test defeat on the contentious track in Pune, India reached Bengaluru with the aim to level the series. Pujara's knock of 92 runs in the second innings and a crucial 118-run partnership woven alongside Ajinkya Rahane gave India the opportunity to level things up against the Aussies. His brilliant performance at Chinnaswamy even led skipper Kohli term him as one of the best Test batsmen in India. Although he failed to complete his century, the Saurashtrian reckoned that his knock of 92 was more important than his double ton at Ranchi, where the two teams had locked horns for the third Test match.
